President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is welcomed warmly by residents of Oton, Iloilo during her inspection Tuesday (July 28, 2009) of the Oton-Mambog Road concreting project. (PNA/NIB photo by R.Baniquet)scs/gsc

MANILA, July 29 — With the resumption of the third regular session of the 14th Congress, House Deputy Minority Leader and Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez has asked the House Committee on Health to determine whether or not Republic Act 9502, also known as the Cheaper Medicines Act, has been effective in bringing down the prices of medicines one year after it was enacted into law.

July 29, 2009 9:32 am· Comments Off on Solons favor lifting of term limits

By Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA, July 29 — The committee on Constitutional amendments of the House of Representatives on Wednesday said it is set to discuss next month the economic and political provisions of the Constitution, particularly the lifting of term limits, except for the position of the President, as majority of congressmen have expressed support for such measure.

July 29, 2009 9:32 am· Comments Off on PGMAs lean team takes commercial flight to US

MANILA, July 29 — It was a rather lean delegation that accompanied President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her trip to the United States Wednesday but the Chief Executive nonetheless expects to advance what she had set out to do in her meeting with US President Barack Obama as well as with American legislators and business leaders.

MANILA, July 29 — The Supreme Court (SC) grilled the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) on Wednesday in connection with its petition questioning the constitutionality of the P7.2-billion poll automation contract entered into between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) consortium.

July 29, 2009 9:32 am· Comments Off on Marcoses join nation in prayer for Cory's recovery

MANILA, July 29 — The Marcos family, through Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., has joined the entire nation in praying for the recovery of former President Corazon Aquino, who is confined at the Makati Medical Center for over a month now due to colon cancer.

MANILA, July 29  The negotiating panels of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have "re-established official contacts today, after nearly a year of impasse in peace talks, the GRP panel said in an e-mail to the Philippines News Agency (PNA). <P>Undersecretary Rafael Seguis of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who is also GRP panel chairman, said a Joint Statement on the breakthrough was signed today in Kuala Lumpur between himself and MILF panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal, witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Othman bin Abdul Razak for Malaysia as third-party facilitator.

July 29, 2009 9:32 am· Comments Off on Palace happy over resumption of Mindanao Peace talks

MANILA, July 29 - Malacañang said on Wednesday they are happy over the resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panels in Malaysia.

July 29, 2009 9:32 am· Comments Off on House ratifies bicam report on CARP extension

By Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA, July 29 — The House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon ratified the report of the bicameral conference committee extending the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).